geoffrey demanded to be let outside the other day at 6am... what would be a normal waking time for many is not so much for me right now... but, once awake, i couldn't deny the need for something to eat, and grabbed a muffin, took it back to bed, and since then i've been sleeping in a bed of crumbs.

marks. called me twice this morning, to check in. so nice to know i'm being thought of, and good to hear things are going well for him at his job site...

yesterday was veteran's day, or, rememberance day, depending on what side of the border i'm on ... since i had the day off work, 3 gals from life group/Bible study [laura, pam, and melanie.] and i took the day to head to bellingham, washington, and do a little shopping. i made a small dent in Christmas buying, and would have liked to do more, but, wasn't finding anything that jumped at me for anyone. the fun part was getting to spend some social time with my friends... i haven't taken a lot of opportunities to hang out with them outside wednesday nights, and it was soooo nice to get to know each of the girls a little better. also, it was bebe's first time in america!! must have been exciting for little bebe, b/c, he/she needed food nearly every hour yesterday, up 'till lunch.

in britain and canada, people wear red poppies to commemorate the soldiers who gave their lives for freedom... at the mall, we could spot who had tripped down from BC, with the same idea as us. hehe.

whenever i am facing a personal life choice or situation that i want to keep private, i have a hard time knowing what to write; i feel unwilling to share at all if i can't share it all. when i was first dating marks., and working through a lot of doubts and expectations [putting him through the relationship wringer.], i barely journaled. one day i hope to find more of a balance with this blog and private journaling... perhaps start the entries in word and share what i feel like sharing here...

i also tend to become more introverted when life is so full... i have a few friends that i used to call on a regular/semi-regular basis, but, i haven't been good about that since the first of the summer. i want to feel bad about it, but, i have chosen not to... life goes in cycles... it takes two to make a relationship work, and i don't always have to be the only one who initiates contact... staying in touch with my family has to be a priority.

all that said, i've been waiting to finish my first trimester before telling people about our pregnancy... and i haven't had much to say while i was at it. people would have guessed, anyway, as the majority of the past few weeks have seen me feeling pretty lousy, having to eat every two hours in order not to feel like throwing up, and catching everything i was exposed to [a really bad cold in sept., H1N1 two weeks ago... being on the other side of the flu, i'm thankful to have gotten it when i did.]... as of two days ago, i'm finally feeling a bit like my former self... took a walk yesterday, made it through the grocery store without feeling like throwing up or wanting to cry b/c there wasn't anything i wanted to buy, and, cleaned my house... what a difference that makes. except for the times i've actually been sick, i have been able to keep going to work, but, it's been hard to get anything else accomplished. really hard. i'm now nearly caught up with photo edits from september and october.

marks. has been out of town since last monday, with a big fencing project in peachland... it will last up to a month, and he is living at a resort/hotel, with one of his business partners and project worker. he's going to come home this saturday evening, for about 24 hours... that will be SO nice, especially since the 5 days b/f he left he had to play nurse to me, and slept in the guestroom in order not to catch my flu. i am looking forward to celebrating his birthday with him a week late.

in july, i was contacted via referral by a family in vancouver, for an urgent photoshoot, whose mother had just been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. they wanted pictures taken while the family was together, and before she started treatment the next week.. i was able to drive downtown and shoot their portraits right b/f flying out of abbotsford [for my month-long sarnia work trip/twin~*'s wedding in the virgin islands.]... i think i was expecting to find a very unhealthy looking ex-smoker, but, to my surprise, she was a beautiful and tall lady with gorgeous hair, and a family devastated, but, rallying around her... we had an amazing shoot together; i welled up a couple of times, so honored to be the one capturing her with the husband, family and best friend she loved so dearly. you could tell she was the heart of that home and family, and someone full of life and adventure. lynn and her husband, ming, were very affectionate; he was a photographer, and she had been his muse for years. i found out last night that lynn had lost the battle she's been fighting these past few months... it is sad news, and i pray she was prepared to face eternity with Jesus. if you think to pray for the nguyen family, please do... pray for comfort and that God would draw the family members to Him. here are a few pictures from that day...

~*

...he's my marks.~ husband, lover, eurocomrade, confidante, best friend, fellow animal-noise-maker...

...and father of our bebe~*.

i'm so blessed to belong to marks.; to be his "wifey"... today was his birthday, and sadly, we had to spend it apart... even though that was the way it had to be, i still feel so much closer this year than i did a year ago. marks. has invested so many hours into us~* over the past year of his life... i am very blessed, and our marriage has benefited from his love, strength, and leadership. i am continually impressed by the amount of grace and kindness he extends to me daily.

i love you, marks.. you're going to be such a good daddy.

~*